Typographical slug casting machine



April 11, 1939- J. E. BILLINGTON El AL 2,153,912

TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jbhn [mesa Bwinzm, I

April 11, 1939- J. E. BILLINGTON ET AL 2,153,912

TYPOGRAPHICAL $LUG CASTING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1957 5 Sheqts-Sheet 2 April 11, 9 J. E. BILLINGTON ET AL 2,153,912

TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG' CASTING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 a elm:

okra Ernest n 2 WW April 11, 1939. J, E. BILLINGTON ET AL 2,153,912

TYPOGRAPHICAL 'SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed May l8, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES TENT oFFieE TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG CASTING MACHINE company Application May 18, 1937, Serial No. 143,306 In Great Britain May 26, 1936 18 Claims.

This invention relates to typographical slug casting machines such as those known commercially under the registered trade-mark Linotype, wherein a slug is cast from a composed line of matrices and spacebands held between a pair of line clamping jaws in casting relationship to a slotted mould.

In such machines the line clamping jaws are normally set for clamping a line of a given length, but in order to provide for moving one of the jaws inwardly for the clamping of a line of less than the given length, i. e., for quadding a short line, it has heretofore been proposed to connect such jaw to means constantly tending to efiect its inward movement, against the action of which means the jaw is normally locked in a position for receiving a line of full length. In such an arrangement, the unlocking of the jaw to permit of its quadding movement is effected under the control of a trip which is set either manually, or automatically through the transfer of a short line to the casting mechanism.

In later developments of typographical machines having means for quadding a line, however, the quadding movement of the jaw has been efiected by a device periodically actuated during the machine cycle, to which device the jaw is connected only when quadding is desired. The connection of the jaw to its actuating device, in such machines, depends upon the manual setting of a member or members, effected by the operator prior to a given casting cycle, or series of casting cycles, for which the quadding movement is desired. 35 4 The object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine of this latter kind, and with this end in View the invention consists in a typographical slug casting machine comprising means controlled by the length of the matrix line from which a slug is to be cast, for connecting a line clamping jaw to a quadding mechanism for the purpose of moving it inwards to clamp the line.

The invention also consists in a typographical slug casting machine comprising means for eifecting a quaclding or centering movement of a jaw or jaws, as desired, and means controlled by the length of the matrix line for rendering said quadding or centering means active.

The invention further consists in a typographical slug casting machine comprising quadding means adapted to be connected to a line clamping jaw when desired, and means for automatically efiecting said connection when the line of matrices composed is of less than a pro-arranged length.

Furthermore, in applying the invention to apparatus in which provision is made for connecting either or both of the jaws to the actuating device, for effecting quadding at either side or centering, and also for disconnecting both jaws from the said device when casting a line of full length, means may be provided to allow the operator to predetermine the form of the connection which is to be automatically effected under the control of the composed line.

The invention will be understood from the following description of a few forms (shown, however, merely by way of example), which it may assume, and this description will be more readily followed by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent diagrammatically in perspective the essential elements of three different forms of the invention and the adjacent parts of typographical slug casting machines in which they are embodied;

Figure 4 represents a perspective view of parts of a typographical slug casting machine embodying a practical form of the invention;

Figures 5, 6 and '7 represent in side elevation a detail part of the device shown in Figure 4 in different settings, on an enlarged scale; and

Figure 8 represents a detail modification which may be employed in a machine of the kind shown in Figure 4.

In carrying the invention into effect in one convenient manner as shown in Figure 1, use may be made of the known assembler slide I carrying a finger (not shown) against which matrices are stacked in the assembler elevator, so that the slide is carried leftwardly as the line increases in length until a line stop 2 on the slide, which is set in accordance with the desired length of line, contacts with a fixed abutment 3 and prevents further leftward movement of the slide.

According to the invention, the stop 2 is extended to engage with an additional stop 4 adjustably mounted on the end of a bar 5 slidably supported in the assembler front plate so as to be movable in a direction substantially parallel with the assembler slide I. This bar 5 at its leftward end, contacts with a member 6 slidably attached by a pin 1 to the vise cap 8 and carrying an interponent 9 adjustable by the movement of the slide 6, into and out of the path of an organ of the machine which is operated after a line has been assembled and prior to casting, and which through said interponent 9 effects,

during its movement, the connection of the jaws to its actuating device. The rear end of the arm of the slide 6 with which the bar contacts is preferably bevelled, as shown, to facilitate closing of the vise cap which is hinged below to the vise frame in accordance with modern practice.

The invention is shown as applied to quadding apparatus in which the quadding movement of the jaw is derived from a vertically reciprocable rod (not shown) carrying at its upper end a collar which, according to the angular position of the rod, is operatively connected with or disconnected from the jaw, and wherein angular adjustment of the rod is effected by gearing connected with a horizontally oscillatable shaft (such as III) extending rightwardly of the vise frame. In this application of the invention, an arm II keyed to the said shaft I9 is connected by a pin I2 to a plunger I3 vertically movable in the vise frame and vise cap, and the before-mentioned interponent 9 consists as shown, of a block vertically slidable in a guide of the slide 6 which is movable horizontally on the vise cap through the medium of the before-mentioned bar on the assembler front plate. The interponent 9 normally lies above the plunger I3, and in the path of a projection I4 on the first elevator. In this normal position of the interponent 9, as the elevator descends to present a line in casting position, the plunger I3 is depressed and the shaft II] to which the depending arm I I is connected is oscillated to effect angular adjustment of the quadder control rod and connect the jaw thereto, the control shaft being normally set in a position in which the rod is disconnected from the jaw, as for regular machine operation (hence the designation R in Fig. 1). The settings of the shaft ID may be located by a spring detent I5 acting upon a slotted segment I6 secured to the shaft I9.

In the arrangement just described, the stop 4 on the bar 5 is so set in relation to the normal line stop 3, that the assembling of a line of full length brings the said stops into contact and causes the bar to move leftward. This leftward movement of the bar 5 moves the slide 6 to the left, carrying the interponent 9 out of the path of the plunger I3 and the projection I4 on the elevator, so that no adjustment of the shaft I9 and thereby of the quaclder control rod for quadding takes place. A small fixed platform I'I' may be provided to support the interponent 9 when so displaced. In the event, however, of the assembled line falling short of the given length by more than a predetermined amount (say 3 ems), determined by the setting of the stop 4 in relation to the stop 3, the interponent 9 remains in its active position on completion of the assembly of the line, and on the descent of the elevator the connection of the jaw to its operating rod is effected and the short line is quadded. For the purpose of conveniently regulating the amount of shortage in length which will result in a quadded slug the stop 4 at the end of the bar 5 is preferably in the form of an adjustable abutment piece.

After the interponent has been displaced under the control of a full length line, it is necessary to restore it to its normal active position, and after a line controlled quadding operation has been effected, it is necessary to return the interponent and the connecting collar of the quadder control rod to normal inactive positions. These operations may be conveniently effected by the upward movement of the first elevator after casting.

For this purpose there may be provided on the first elevator a projecting arm I8 having an in clined cam surface I9 adapted when the elevator is raised to its uppermost position to contact with an inclined side wall 20 of the interponent 9, causing the interponent (with the slide 6 and the bar 5) to move to the right to the limit determined by the pin 1. This arm I8 may also be arranged (e. g., by suitable provision of cam members on the link II or shaft ID) to reset the shaft I6 to normal, inactive position during its cyclic movement.

An alternative form of mechanism for this purpose may include a laterally projecting cam carried on the side of the elevator in a position to engage one arm of a bell crank lever pivoted on the vise cap, having its other arm connected by pin and slot to a forward extension of the. arm I I.

Depression of the plunger I3 and consequent movement of the arm II brings a roller on the free arm of the bell crank lever into the path of the elevator cam, which returns it to normal position when the elevator is raised to its uppermost position. The same cam may also act upon the surface 25 of the interponent 9 to restore the displaced interponent to normal position.

As stated in the preamble hereto it is now general practice to provide typographical slug casting machines with a quadding mechanism (usually arranged for hand setting), in which the collar on the quadding control rod is adapted to connect either or both of the jaws to the rod, according to the angular position of the latter, and an oscillatable shaft (such as II] in Figure l) is provided with a control handle by which the collar can be set in any of four positions appropriate respectively to righthand jaw quadding, lefthand jaw quadding, centering and normal operation, the last-mentioned setting leaving both jaws disconnected from the quadding mechanism.

A modification of the present invention shown diagrammatically in Figure 2 is directed to an arrangement whereby the adjustment of the shaft from its neutral position (wherein both jaws are disconnected from the quadding mechanism), is effected through the agency of a short line to any one of the three settings for quadding or centering, in a machine of this more recent kind.

In Figure 2, parts corresponding to, or having the same function as, parts shown in Figure 1 are identified by the same references.

In this modification, a plunger I3, instead of being directly linked to an arm on the oscillatable shaft It, serves to actuate a depending rack 2| meshing with a pinion 22 on the said shaft III. This rack 2| is actuated indirectly through a lever 23 on one arm of which the rack is suspended. In this arrangement, the spring-urged plunger I3 carries on the underside of the Vise cap 8 a horizontal slide 24 extending above and parallel with the lever 23 to which the rack 2| is connected, and in this slide 24 is adjustably mounted a block 25 which transmits the motion of the plunger I3 to the lever 23. In accordance with the position of the block 25 (which is adjustable by a manually operable lever 26 in the slide 24) in relation to the fixed fulcrum 2'! of the lever 23, the rack 2| is actuated either upwardly or downwardly to the extent necessary for effecting the desired angular adjustment of the quadding rod I0. An interponent 9 normally rests on the plunger I3, but is displaced therefrom by a bar 5 moved by a full length line through the medium of the assembler slide as in Figure 1.

In this form of the invention, it is also necessary to make provision for restoring the interponent and the connecting collar to their normal positions, and the arrangement previously described for the return of the interponent may be employed if desired, but a modification of the means for returning the connecting collar to the neutral position is required on account of the extended range of adjustments of the said collar. To this end, a second rack 28 is provided, vertically reciprocable in the vise frame and meshing with the pinion 22 on the oscillatable shaft H] on the side thereof opposite to the actuating rack 21, and each rack is provided with a projecting peg (respectively 29 and 3E) overlying one arm 3i of a bell crank lever pivoted to the vise frame, the other arm 32 of which lever extends into the path of a cam 33 on the first elevator. As the racks, being both in mesh with pinion 22 and on opposite sides thereof, must, when actuated, move in opposite directions, one of the pegs 29, 33, must move downwardly for every adjustment, and by such downward movement the free arm 32 of the bell crank lever is carried into the path of the elevator cam 33. Upon extended upward movement of the elevator, the racks are restored to their neutral position by the cam 33 through the medium of the bell crank lever acting upon the depressed peg, 29 or 38.

In a yet further form of the invention shown diagrammatically in Figure 3, the quadding connections are controlled by the length of line through the agency of the line delivery carriage, by which the line is transferred from the assembler elevator to the first elevator. As in Figure 2, parts shown in Figure 3 having corresponding functions to those of parts in Figure 1 are identified by like references. ment, the interponent 9 is slidable on a guide 34 on the first elevator, into and out of operative relationship with a plunger I3 normally extending upwardly from the top face of the vise cap 8. The interponent 9, as in the before-described constructional forms, normally occupies its active position to eifect depression of the plunger on the descent of the first elevator. To move the interponent to inactive position, there is provided on the line delivery carriage 35, an abutment '35 the position of which in relation to the first elevator, when a line is delivered, is dependent on the length of the line, and an adjustable abutment 31, carried by a lever 38 pivoted on the first elevator head, is arranged in a position to be struck by the abutment 35 on the line delivery carriage when a line of full length is delivered. The abutment lever 38 is connected by a link 39 to a bell crank lever 40, also pivoted on the elevator head, by which the interponent 9 is adjusted. The return of the interponent and the connected parts to normal position, may be effected by a camblock 4! fixed to a support 42 on the vise cap 8, with which the interponent slide engages during the upward movement of the first elevator. The quadder rod may be set through the depression of the plunger IS in this form of the invention by any of the means hereinbefore described.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4 to '7. In this form of the invention a bar 43 is slidably mounted on the top surface of the first elevator head and carries a block, with a depending abutment 44, adjustable on the rod by a finger-operable pawl 45 which engages with a rack on the bar 43, graduations for positioning the block being provided on the bar 43. A plate 46 is secured to the side wall of the first elevator head and a cam member In this arrange- 41 is carried by a shaft 48 extending through this plate to a recess 49 in the elevator, in which is provided a compression spring urging the cam away from the plate 46. The cam. 41 is further supported by a peg 50 extending over the upper edge of the plate, which is suitably shaped, as shown, to allow rotation of the cam about the axis of its shaft 48, and a head 5| on this peg 50 holds the cam in desired location against the action of the above-mentioned compression spring. An arm 52 projecting from the bar 43 is connected by a link 53 to another arm 54 pivoted at 55, and a further arm 56 on the same pivot shaft carries a pin resting against a collar 51 on the shaft 48. The depending abutment 44 of the bar 43 stands in the path of the line stop 58 which is forced outwards from the elevator head by a line of matrices transferred thereto and the abutment 44 is so positioned on the bar 43 that a line of pre-arranged length (or only less than the desired length by a pre-arranged amount of, say, 3 ems) causes the line stop to engage it and to move the bar 43 and thus, through the linkage system described, to draw the cam 41 towards the plate 46, against the action of the spring.

Vertically beneath the centre line of the cam in its normal position is a roller 59 on one arm of a bell crank lever 60, the other arm of which is connected by a link 6| to an arm 62 secured to the shaft 63 carrying the segment 64 whereby the quadder rod is turned to connect the collar thereof to either or both jaws.

From this description it will be clear that should the first elevator descend after having received a full length line the cam 41, being held, by the bar 43 and the linkage, against the side of the plate 46, despite the action of its spring, is moved past the roller 59 and the machine remains with the quadder mechanism in its normal, or regular, setting (1. e., with both jaws disconnected from the quadder rod so that no quadding takes place). If, however, a short line has been delivered to the elevator, the line stop fails to engage the abutment 44, the cam 41 thus remaining in its outermost position under the action of its spring, and when the elevator descends, the cam 41 engages the roller 58 and through the linkage 6!), 6!, 62, turns the shaft 63 to set the quadder rod so that its collar engages a jaw or jaws for quadding or centring.

Manual adjustment of the cam 41 is arranged to determine whether the automatic setting of the quadder thereby is for left hand or right quadding, or for centering, and the positions of the cam for these purposes are clearly shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7.

The cam 41 is provided with two inclined surfaces 64, 65, and on one side with a plate-like member 66 the edge 61 of which is adapted to form an extension of the surface 55 of cam 41. The member 66 is hinged to the cam 41 at 68, and its positions either opened from the side of the cam (Figure 6), or closed against the side of the cam (Figures 5 and '7) are determined by a spring detent 69 engaging slots or apertures in the hinge boss 10. The cam 41 is freely movable by hand about the axis of its shaft 43 from the position shown in Figure 5 to that shown in Figures 6 and '7 or vice versa, and the hinged plate 56 is also opened or closed by hand, these settings being effected by the operator before cyclic movements of the machine under power are initiated.

The setting shown in Figure 5 is for right hand quadding and as the cam descends the roller 59 is engaged by the surface 64, and displaced leftwardly (as viewed in Figure 5) from its normal position beneath the axis of shaft 48 to the position shown at the side of the cam, resulting in movement; of the shaft 63 and connection of the quadder mechanism for right hand quadding. For left hand quadding the cam 41 is thrown over to the position shown in Figure 6 with the hinged plate 66 opened, and the roller is then displaced to the right, transmitting appropriate movement for the desired adjustment to shaft 53. To connect the quadder for centering the cam remains in the position shown in Figure 6, but the hinged plate 66 is closed, as shown in Figure 7, providing a greater throw on the surface 55, and thus displacing the roller 59 to the greater extent required for transmitting to shaft 63 the movement necessary for this desired connection.

A catch H pivoted to the plate 46 may be moved to the position shown in Figure 6, resting between the plate 48 and the head 5! of peg 50 on the cam 41, for the purpose of holding the cam withdrawn against the action of its spring if it is desired to have the device permanently out of action. It will be noted, however, that since the cam is always withdrawn by a full length line in the elevator head, and since also if the line is not of full length the quadding mechanism must operate or the normal known safety devices will arrest operation of the machine, the need for the catch 15 is very remote, and it may if desired be omitted (as is the case in Figure 4).

In order to return the parts to normal setting after operation, there is provided on the inner side of the first elevator an inclined cam surface 72 adapted, when the first elevator rises to its uppermost position to run against one or other of rollers 13, carried by arms on opposite sides of the shaft 63, according to the sense in which the shaft 63 has been turned, and thus to restore the shaft 63, together with the quadder control rod and the bell crank lever 60, to their normal or regular settings.

An alternative form of restoring means is shown in Figure 8, comprising a cammed channel member 14 carried on arms 75 projecting from the first elevator, adapted to engage a roller 16 on a bell crank lever ll connected by slot and pin to the link 6!. Such engagement of the cam 74 and roller 76 occurs when the elevator is raised to its uppermost position and restores the link 6! and all parts connected or associated therewith to normal setting.

In a modification of the device shown in Figure l, the cam 41 may be mounted at the side of the first elevator slightly above the shaft 63, and the shaft be extended from the elevator head to the lever 56 positioned at the same level as the cam. The linkage assembly 50, 6| 62, may then be eliminated and the roller 59 to be moved by the cam may be carried by an arm secured directly to the shaft 63. If desired the whole of the cam mechanism may be housed within a recess in the rear of the first elevator, the lengthened shoft 55 extending through a bore or channel in the elevator thereto, so that the only visible parts of the invention will be the bar 43 and linkage 52, 53, 54, on the elevator head. The neatness of this arrangement is apparent.

It is to be understood that the particular forms of quadding mechanism and of the control connections from the assembler slide, line delivery carriage or line stop above described, are given only as convenient examples to indicate the nature of the invention, and the constructional details may be modified as may be demanded by the form of the quadding mechanism employed and the organ of the machine chosen for operating the setting, without departing from the scope of the invention. It should be noted, however, that the application of the invention to quadding mechanism adapted normally to be set by hand, is not intended to preclude the possibility of hand-setting, as provision may be conveniently made, if necessary, for disconnecting, when desired, one of the members of the train of line-controlled connections. For example, in the arrangements described above in connection with Figure 1 or Figure 2, the link or rack actuated by the plunger may be disconneoted from the arm or pinion on the oscillatable shaft, leaving the latter free to be adjusted manually. It should be understood that these and various other modifications necessary or desirable to carry the invention into effect in different circumstances and requirements to be fulfilled, fail within the scope of the invention.

Having described our invention, we declare that what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A typographical slug casting machine comprising quadding means adapted to be connected to a line clamping jaw when desired, and means for automatically effecting said connection when the line of matrices composed is of less than a pre-arranged length, said latter means being rendered inactive by a matrix line of such prearranged length.

2. A typographical slug casting machine comprising means for selectively eifecting a quadding or centering movement of a jaw or jaws, and means movable by a composed line of not less than pre-arranged length, which means, if not moved, render said quadding or centering means active.

3. A typographical slug casting machine according to claim 2 wherein said means which efiect said activation if not moved by the composed line, are carried by a cyclically operable part of the machine.

4. A typographical slug casting machine comprising means for effecting a quadding movement of a jaw, means normally positioned to effect activation of said quadding means during a machine cycle, and means actuated by a composed line of not less than a pre-arranged length to render said normally activating means inactive.

5. A typographical slug casting machine comprising line clamping jaws, a quadding mechanism adapted to be connected to a jaw, a linkage system attached to said quadding mechanism whereby the said connection may be efiected, a first elevator carrying a member adapted, on descent of the first elevator, to operate said linkage and thus to effect said connection, and means controlled by a composed line of pre-arranged length to render said member on the first elevat-or inefiective in said operation of said linkage.

6 A typographical slug casting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein a roller is carried by said linkage, and said member on the first elevator comprises a cam displaceable from the path of said roller by means controlled by the length of line composed.

7-. A typographical slug casting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said linkage may be actuated by a projection from the first elevator, through the medium of an interponent adapted to be moved out of the path of said projection by means controlled by the length of the line.

8. A typographical slug casting machine as claimed in claim wherein a roller is carried by said linkage, and said member on the first elevator comprises a cam displaceable from the path of said roller by connections actuated by the line stop in the first elevator.

9. A typographical slug casting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said linkage may be actuated by a projection from the first elevator, through the medium of an interponent adapted to be moved out of the path of said projection by connections actuated by the assembler slide.

10. A typographical slug casting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said linkage may be actuated by a member carried on the first elevator adapted to be moved to an inoperative position by connections operated by the line delivery carriage.

11. A typographical slug casting machine comprising means for efiecting left hand quadding, right hand quadding, or centering movement of a jaw or jaws, means controlled by the length of the composed line for automatically rendering said quadding or centering means active in prearranged conditions, and means for pre-selecting which of said movements is to be automatically activated when said pre-arranged conditions prevail.

A typographical slug casting machine according to claim 11 comprising a cam having oppositely directed inclined surfaces, said cam being selectively movable to bring either of said surfaces into operative position.

13. A typographical slug casting machine according to claim 11 comprising a cam having oppositely directed inclined surfaces, said cam being selectively movable to bring either of said surfaces into operative position, and having means to extend the run of one of said inclined surfaces when desired.

14. A typographical slug casting machine com.- prising a pair of line clamping jaws, quadding means adapted, when connected to one of the jaws, to move said jaw inwards to clamp the composed line prior to the slug casting operation and to restore the jaw to its original position after the slug casting operation, and means controlled by the length of the composed line for automatically effecting said connection.

15. A typographical slug casting machine comprising a pair of line clamping jaws, quadding means adapted, when connected to one of the jaws, to move said jaw inwards to clamp the composed line prior to the slug casting operation and to restore the jaw to its original position after the slug casting operation, and means for automatically effecting said connection when the composed line is of less than a pre-arranged length.

16. A typographical slug casting machine comprising a pair of line clamping jaws, quadding means adapted, when connected to one of the jaws, to move said jaw inwards to clamp the composed line prior to the slug. casting operation and to restore the jaw to its original position after the slug casting operation, and means actuated during a machine cycle for automatically effecting said connection, said means including a member movable by the composed line to condition the machine in preparation for said automatic connection.

A typographical slug casting machine comprising a pair of line clamping jaws, means for effecting a quadding movement of one of the jaws or a centering movement of both of said jaws, means controlled by the length of the composed line for automatically rendering said quadding or centering means active in pre-arranged conditions, and means for pre-selecting which of said movements is to be automatically activated when said pre-arranged conditions prevail.

18. A typographical slug casting machine equipped with justifying mechanism and comprising, in combination, a pair of line clamping jaws, means independent of the justifying mechanism for effecting a quadding movement of one of said jaws, and automatic means for rendering said quadding means active, said automatic means being controlled in its operation by the length of the composed matrix line.

MARY ELLEN BILLINGTON, Executriz: of the Estate of John Ernest Billington,

Deceased.

RICHARD HENRY SCOTT. 

